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Tejashwi Yadav Stature in RJD Upgraded, Rahul Gandhi Slams Nitish Kumar on Caste Census

Tejashwi Yadav Stature in RJD Upgraded, Rahul Gandhi Slams Nitish Kumar on Caste Census

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Manas Dasgupta

NEW DELHI, Jan 18: The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) on Saturday upgraded the stature in the party of the former Bihar deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav virtually passing the baton to him to lead the party in the coming elections to the state Assembly later this year equalling his powers to that of the party’s national president, a post all along occupied by his father and party supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav.

In another development in Bihar, the Congress leader Rahul Gandhi slammed the chief minister Nitish Kumar claiming that the caste census his government had carried out in Bihar in the past was “only to befool the people” while harping that the Congress and other members of the opposition INDIA bloc would ensure that the Narendra Modi government was forced to carry out caste census at the national level.

In the run up to the Assembly election in Bihar, the RJD national executive committee at its meeting in Patna on Saturday adopted a resolution allowing Tejashwi Yadav, who has already been calling the shots in the party, decide on amendments to the party’s ticket and symbol along with Mr Lalu Prasad.

The meeting was attended by the senior leaders of the party, including MPs, MLAs and MLCs, along with Mr Prasad, his wife Rabri Devi, and oldest daughter Misa Bharti. Mr Yadav is currently the Leader of the Opposition in the Bihar Legislative Assembly. He served as the Deputy Chief Minister when the RJD formed the government with the Janata Dal-United (JD-U) in 2015 and 2022.

“I thank all the leaders of the party, including Lalu-ji, for showing trust in me and giving me such a big responsibility. I will discharge my duty with honesty in the upcoming Assembly election in Bihar. The RJD-led grand alliance will surely form the government in the State,” Mr Yadav said in an interaction with the media after the meeting.

Party sources said the decision had been taken keeping in mind Mr Lalu Prasad’s declining health. The veteran politician has not been keeping well for some years. He underwent a cardiac surgery in 2014 and a kidney transplant in 2022.

Addressing the media after the meeting, Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha said the party had taken several important decisions. Ramchandra Purve has been made the chief electoral officer for the party’s organisational elections, Mr Jha said. “Now the time has come for change of power in Bihar. The party is fully prepared and the people of Bihar are in the mood for change,” he added.

The programme for the party’s organisational elections (2025-2028 session) was also released. The RJD’s State unit president Jagdanand Singh could not attend the national meet due to health reasons. In the proposal, a call was made to publicise Mr Yadav’s work during his 17-month tenure as Deputy CM.

At the meeting, Mr Yadav asked party leaders to ensure at least two active members were available at every booth. He called for the formation of booth committees for every booth. He said only those who worked for the party would be given responsibilities and respect. The meeting was also addressed by RJD presidents from other States, including Kerala, Nagaland, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Jammu & Kashmir.

Meanwhile, alleging that the caste survey conducted by the Nitish Kumar government in Bihar was an exercise to befool the people, Mr Rahul Gandhi said his party would stick to its demand for caste census as such an initiative is essential to plan development work in the country.

Addressing ‘Samvidhan Suraksha Sammelan’ at Bapu Sabhagar in Patna, Mr Gandhi said, “Dalits, minorities and socially marginalised people comprise 90 per cent population of this country but they are not part of the system….This is the reason that we have been demanding caste census.” He also claimed, “I have categorically told leaders in Parliament, in front of Prime Minister Narendra Modi Ji, that our party will get this passed at any cost.”

Mr Gandhi said a caste census across the country was “important to find out how much participation OBCs, Dalits and workers have in the bureaucracy and other sectors.” “The aim of the caste census is not just to know about the count of various castes but their participation in the country’s wealth as well…We don’t want a caste survey like the Bihar government did. The exercise which the Bihar government had done was just to befool people,” the Congress leader alleged.

He also claimed that the 50% cap on reservations for people belonging to SCs, STs and OBCs was “not enough.” “We will increase the cap for the benefit of the majority of the people. A few select organisations, including RSS and its people, industrial houses are running the country,” he claimed. The country’s Constitution was “not just a book” but “talks about atrocities and difficulties faced by Dalits”, he said.

Speaking on RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s ‘true independence’ remark, Mr Gandhi alleged, “His remark about India’s true independence after the Ram temple consecration is against the Constitution. The BJP and the RSS are undermining the Constitution and neglecting marginalised communities.” He said the political fight was on between “those who want to save the Constitution and ones who are spreading hatred.

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